World Day of the Sick, February 11, 2020
Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes Pope Francis’s message for the 2020 World Day of…
CCBI Resources for Covid-19 – March 19, 2021
Dear Friends of CCBI,
Is there a ‘third wave?’ Dr Teresa Tam relays the information that even in countries with a relatively high rate of vaccination, the spread of variants has meant public health measures have had to be introduced or continued. She is again issuing the further caution about possible, higher levels of transmissibility in the variants. A week ago, over 1000 problematic variants were identified in Ontario alone, including the U.K., South African, and Brazilian variant. On Friday March 19, Ontario recorded a total of more than 1700 new cases.
A prediction had been made that these trends could make the eventual closure of schools inevitable. Hoping to counter that, the same expert expressed this hope: “The good news is, the weather is getting warmer and vaccinations are really ramping up. So, as dire as this looks, I think it’s also going to be fairly short lived. And so I really do want people to feel concerned, but also positive.” Rather mixed, but most of us need some hope, even if tempered by caution.
The need, however, to pay ongoing attention to the possible impact of variants is also reinforced by Dr Anthony Fauci, who continues to be one of the most forceful figures in public health in the US, with influence beyond its borders. So, whether we call the present situation ‘third wave’ or not, current messaging reflects possibilities based on statistics, against which it is hoped that increasing numbers of those already vaccinated may serve to limit the rate of spread of the virus and variants.
Nature magazine asks: “Has COVID-19 peaked?” It relates that “…some researchers urge caution when interpreting global trends. They point to blind spots in our understanding of the pandemic’s toll and the length of protection against reinfection, as well as the unpredictability of viral biology and people’s behaviour. Global cases have already started to slightly rise again since late February, and the daily number of new cases is currently hovering around 438,000.” The article states that in the Brazilian city of Manaus, “Researchers estimate that, by last October, up to 76% of the population could have already been infected and developed immunity, which contributed to a decline in cases. But hospital admissions due to COVID-19 began to rise rapidly again there in January — exceeding numbers observed last April. The rise coincided with the detection and rapid spread of P.1 in the city. ‘Manaus is telling us that a second wave is possible,’ says Ester Sabino, an infectious-disease researcher at the University of São Paolo in Brazil.” The second wave to which Dr Sabino refers is what Canada is calling the ‘third wave.’
We are reminded that there is uncertainty as to how long immunity — either from vaccination or infection — will last. The same article tells us: “If the protection is short-lived, larger outbreaks are possible in the months and years ahead.” Every epidemiologist reminds us of the unknowns, and how the major hope of dealing with THEM in terms of decreasing mortality rates and further spread is more and faster vaccination.
Workplace issues are being increasingly reported in the media. Recent data for Toronto show “nearly half of COVID-19 cases are among people living on lower incomes, while almost 80 per cent of cases are racialized Torontonians – both vastly overrepresented relative to their populations. In January, Canada’s largest city started disclosing more information on workplace outbreaks. The majority have been in businesses deemed essential, such as construction and warehousing. Many of the most recent outbreaks have been in the food processing sector.” These social and political ramifications of the pandemic have been clear for some time and raise further ethical concerns about society’s response, certainly from government, but also perhaps from religious institutions in terms of how they can help. The Vatican’s COVID-19 Task Force could be helpful here.
The British Medical Journal reports on research and audit programs under way to determine the impact of Covid-19 on healthcare workers, with several longitudinal studies ongoing. It states: “As more scientific evidence on Covid-19 becomes available, more accurate validated risk prediction scores will facilitate more precise estimates of individual risk. Figures to date do not suggest that doctors or nurses, particularly in intensive care units, have a higher mortality rate than the general working population. This may reflect a controlled working environment where exposure to the hazard can be minimised by safe systems of work and provision and correct use of PPE. Nonetheless, because of the disproportionate number of overall deaths in ethnic minority healthcare workers, risk assessments should be implemented for all healthcare workers.” Questions of race and ethnicity are raised yet again in demanding a change in approaches in many areas, now and post-pandemic.
Our school systems are having to cope with serious levels of stress, including knowledge of outbreaks in several schools, involving staff and students. It is not clear when teachers will be vaccinated, but many work in small, low ceilinged classrooms with poor ventilation, while being required to maintain six-feet distance at all times (which must be next to impossible!) Some hybrid systems of teaching children in class at the same time as coping with students online may need further assessment as to effectiveness. Many teachers report that students switch off cameras and audio regularly, and teachers cannot control that. We are asking so much of our teachers!
Last, unrelated to the concerns related here but certainly related to the need for encouragement and hope, Bambi forwarded this video that really makes one laugh out loud for the sheer exuberance it demonstrates.
Our Lady, Health of the Sick, pray for us!
St Joseph, ‘Guardian of the Saviour Child,’ pray for us!
Let us pray that we may experience the sacrament of reconciliation with renewed depth, to taste the infinite mercy of God!
(Pope Francis’ intention for March)
Moira and Bambi
Global News -Tam urges caution in easing public health measures amid COVID-19 vaccine rollout
https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/945727e2-6d50-11eb-a629-0242ac110003/?jwsource=cl
CTV News – Spike in cases, variants
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-reports-spike-in-new-covid-19-cases-logs-more-than-1-700-
Dr Fauci – vaccinate against variants
Fauci: U.S. needs to boost vaccinations to stay ahead in race against COVID-19 variants | FierceHealthcare
Top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, M.D., said the challenge the U.S. faces in its fight against COVID-19 is vaccinating enough people to stay ahead of more infectious variants of the …www.fiercehealthcare.com
Nature
The Globe and Mail – workplaces
EWTN – Vatican COVIVD-19 Task Force
Father Christopher Mahar of the Health Care Services Office in the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development tells us about the work being done by t…youtu.be
British Medical Journal – Healthcare Workers
Assessing risk for healthcare workers during the covid-19 pandemic | The BMJ
What you need to know Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a new strain of coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19). In March 2020, the World Health Organization classified covid-19 as an international pandemic. Initial guidance from many organisations identified people who might be more vulnerable to covid-19, based on knowledge of those known …www.bmj.com
CBC – Ravens playing like puppies in the snow